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Bill

SB 5097

Safeguarding competitiveness in girls' interscholastic athletic activities.

2025-2026 Regular Session Introduced by Matt Boehnke and 5 co-sponsors

SB 5097 establishes biological sex eligibility requirements for girls' interscholastic sports in Washington, restricting participation to address competitive fairness concerns.

First reading, referred to Early Learning & K-12 Education.
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Bill Summary · SB 5097

Legislative bill overview

SB 5097 would establish eligibility requirements for girls' interscholastic athletic competitions in Washington state, creating rules around participation based on biological sex criteria. The bill appears designed to address concerns about competitive fairness in women's sports by defining who may compete on girls' athletic teams.

Why is this important

This legislation directly affects student athletes' access to school sports and could significantly impact transgender and intersex students seeking to participate in athletics. It represents an ongoing nationwide policy debate about balancing inclusion, fairness, and equal opportunity in youth sports.

Potential points of contention

  • Biological eligibility definitions: The bill's specific criteria for determining eligibility could have unintended consequences for intersex students and raise enforcement questions
  • Transgender student inclusion: Creates potential conflict with state and federal anti-discrimination protections and differs from policies adopted by some national athletic associations
  • Medical privacy concerns: Implementation may require invasive medical disclosures or testing to verify eligibility status
  • Federal compliance risk: May conflict with Title IX interpretations or other federal education law protections depending on final language

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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